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Not Briercliffe based but suggestions/explanations required anyway please.

I have a Thomas Coxon who is married to Sarah Coxon. I know that Coxon is her maiden name as I now have 2 of their childrens births certificates (the second to make doubly sure it wasn't some sort of error).

They appear on the 1851 census together in the area where Thomas seems to originate, one of the births is in this same street in 1848. Thomas is in this street, I think, with his mum and siblings in 1841. I have not yet found Sarah though according to later census, she is born about 1 mile away from Thomas.

According to census, their first born was in 1843, the next in 1846.

This all takes place in a 'village' called Shelton in Stoke on Trent.

I have searched the Ancestry complete BMD index for a marriage for this couple and found nothing. I searched from 1837 to 1851 for the names Coxon, Coxen, Coxson, Cookson and Cockson. I have checked one or two of the main churches in the area for the marriage, admittedly I have not yet looked at them all and one in particular (the suspected church) has missing records at the library. I'm hoping that Stafford archives might have these.

My only other thought was that they didn't bother to marry as Sarah already shares Thomas's name!

Any thoughts?

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Mel

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They could have not bothered to get married as she shares his name, as you say, BUT they could have been closely related and therefore couldn't marry, OR she could have been married before to his brother. Bit off the wall thoughts I think.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I'm at thepoint of off the wall. Of course I will probably never know for sure. It's driving me nuts as it is the marriage I need to take either of them a generation further back.

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Mel

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As we have been talking of the naming of children after their parents, grandparents etc I found this. As Ralph was rather an unusual name then I wondered if there could be a connection. i realise the Sarah is the wrong age, and this Sarah would have been young to be her mother, but here it is
Name Age
Ralph Coxon 42
Sarah Coxon 39
Phoeba Coxon 15
Mary Coxon 10
James Coxon 8
Ellen Coxon 5
Emma Coxon 1
North Street, Hanley.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Ralph is a known Coxon name, in fact the child who's birth was in 1848 was a Ralph.
This Ralph quite probably connects to the family I am looking at but not sure how at the moment.
North Street is not far from where the family were living.

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Mel

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I looked at the 1851 census children's names, and then in the 1841, for a Herbert or Ralph who could have been Sarah's father. I bet it has got mispelt as something.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Thomas's father was, I think, a Joshua though he was dead pre-1841.
A very good friend of mine has just discovered that her husband has Coxon's in his tree. His Coxon seems to be the sister of Thomas but without the marriage for Thomas, I can't confirm it 100%. There is a probable Thomas living in Marsh Street, Shelton with his mum, Hannah and a couple of siblings including Abigail.
Thomas is in Marsh Street for the birth of Ralph and in 1851. The family is still there in 1857 when my Gt Gt Grandfather, Joshua, was born. In 1861 they have moved but not far.

I'm not going to be able to go to Stafford archives before the beginning of June because we go away next week

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Mel

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Though out of the area, a little update...
I've been looking at this coxon family again. This is them in 1851
1851
HO107/2005 folio 348 pg 17 (Hanley-Shelton image 15-17)
Marsh St
Thomas Coxon,Head,Mar,44,Potter ovenman,Shelton
Sarah,Wife,Mar,36,Etruria
Herbert,Son,7,scholar,Shelton
Thomas,son,4,scholar,Shelton
Ralph,Son,2,Shelton

I now think the eldest two children of Thomas (Herbert & Thomas) might not be the children of Sarah. There is a marriage in 1841 for a Thomas Coxon and Martha Marsden. Then there is a death in 1846 for Martha Coxon. I originally ordered 2 separate birth certificates to verify mothers maiden name, one for Ralph and the other for a Joshua who was not born until 1857. I have now found a baptism for a Thomas (son Thomas, not Head), the age would match this census return - mother is listed as Martha. I think I am going to pay a visit to the archives before I buy the certificate to check the marriage for Martha Marsden and also to look for a burial for Martha.
Still baffled though - I can't find a birth or baptism reference for Herbert or a marriagefor Thomas to Sarah. I'm wondering if Sarah had been married previously and so her name at the time of marriage would not be Coxon. Cannot find an earlier marriage for a Sarah Coxon either though I will check church records for pre-civil registration as she could have married before 1837.

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Mel

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Doesn't this lovely hobby of ours just drive you nuts.
Funny you should be having a look back at this family, I was having a look back at one of mine yesterday---like we do every so often, giving it another kick about and not getting much further.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I'm frustrated now because I want to go to the library. Our local archives doesn't open until Tuesday (not that I can make it tomorrow anyway but that's not the point! )

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Mel

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Been to the library and I am none the wiser.

The father is not who I expected/hoped it would be. Arrgghhhh

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Mel

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